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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not have a cat because there are too many birds in my garden?

53 replies

userhank · 07/06/2023 12:31

So my mum has been looking after our cat while I've been moving house and doing my house up. It's almost ready. My cat has been with my mum for about 3 months now, really settled and gets in fine with my mums other cats.

My mum came to my new house this morning to wait for a delivery while I did the school run. When I came back, she said she noticed just how many birds there are in my garden. I have a large garden with trees also down each side which are full of nests. My house also backs on to the local park so it's full of greenery and wildlife.

Now while I know it's all part of nature, my mum questioned wether I should actually bring my cat. He is definitely a hunter and my mum thinks that while he will absolutely be in his element, the amount of birds especially he will catch will be very high and it's quite unfair.

Just to add - my mum is not trying to keep my cat. She has 3 of her own and definitely doesn't want anymore but she would be happy to carry on looking after mine.

I would of never thought of this in a million years....thoughts?

OP posts:
vincettenoir · 07/06/2023 12:38

That’s a tricky one. In your situation I would perhaps bring your cat to your new home and see how it goes.

If he likes to hunt he will likely kill the odd bird once in a blue moon, like many cats do. But if it turns out there’s a birdy bloodbath once a week or more then perhaps it will be an untenable situation. Then you can consider your options.

Onelifeonly · 07/06/2023 12:44

Birds might get the message and move on! Seriously I've known a good few cats in my time, have two now, and catching birds is a rarity. It does happen, especially when they are young adults, but not that often. I had one cat who caught four birds all within a few months and then never again - unless she didn't bring them in anymore. 🤦‍♀️

Original poster
userhank · 07/06/2023 12:45

vincettenoir · 07/06/2023 12:38

That’s a tricky one. In your situation I would perhaps bring your cat to your new home and see how it goes.

If he likes to hunt he will likely kill the odd bird once in a blue moon, like many cats do. But if it turns out there’s a birdy bloodbath once a week or more then perhaps it will be an untenable situation. Then you can consider your options.

Yes I agree.

It has always been more more mice than birds. Our old house backed on to a field so that was easy for him.

Thing is I'm a huge animal lover and although I know it's normal, I really would find it quite upsetting.

Saying that, as I've said already, the thought never crossed my mind until my mum mentioned it!

OP posts:
wetpebbles · 07/06/2023 12:46

A bell on his collar may help, we have a hunter cat and I don't put food out for birds for that reason

Softoprider · 07/06/2023 12:52

Up until last year I had three Siamese cats. All of them hunters. All of them old so not so much hunting now - more opportunist catchers of unaware little creatures. Two have died and the last one sleeps all day eats and then sleeps in my bed all night. I love her very much but she will be the last cat for me. The birds can flourish in my garden now.
The death and destruction of wildlife is horrific when you have a young cat. My daughter has a young female who catches baby rabbits. I can't bear it, so I am with you OP

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 07/06/2023 12:54

Birds can fly away. My cat is the biggest hunter ever and has only caught one bird in 7 years, he usually catches rats and mice.

Reugny · 07/06/2023 12:54

wetpebbles · 07/06/2023 12:46

A bell on his collar may help, we have a hunter cat and I don't put food out for birds for that reason

Quite a few cats can get the collars off.

User17865 · 07/06/2023 12:56

Your Mum is right, wild birds have declined by a third since 1970, we don’t need to lose anymore. Let the cat stay at your Mum’s.

QuintanaRoo · 07/06/2023 12:56

My cats are my total babies so I couldn’t imagine not bringing him home.

I do agree your local birds Will generally get the message and avoid the garden. My cats are house cats but previously I’ve had cats which went outside. I have loads more birds now than previously.

User17865 · 07/06/2023 12:57

Would the cat only be in the garden though? Or would it be able to roam?

AMonthOfSundaes · 07/06/2023 12:58

It's why I don't have a cat, tbh. I like the birds too much.

I once looked after someone else's cat (at my house) for a few weeks and it was like having a little serial killer in the house. Plenty of mice, even more voles and about 12 birds over a 8 week period. Mostly babies. And they are just the ones I found!

That said, he was a little psycho and used to remove their organs and leave them stuck to the cream walls. So maybe he is not representaive of all cats Grin

Put me off, though.

Quitelikeit · 07/06/2023 12:59

I’d choose looking out if the window at birds, their babies anyway than a stinky, hairy, sly sneaky cat!

Save the birds !

oh and buy a bird bath too then post some pictures on here

Quitelikeit · 07/06/2023 12:59

Looking out*

their babies any day*

8state · 07/06/2023 13:00

I would let your mum hold on to him. I love my cat, but have ended up having to keep him in a lot as he catches so much! It's nesting season as well. I think. so baby birds are vulnerable. I follow RSPB advice to keep my cat in between sunset and dawn, and it seems to have reduced the kill count to zero. Before that there was a sometimes live rat every morning running round the kitchen, he's caught a couple of birds too in the past. So keeping him in works, but he doesn't enjoy it and would far rather be out at night. He wakes me up miaowing at the windows and running up and down the stairs!

HarlanPepper · 07/06/2023 13:01

The riskiest time is around now, when the fledglings and younger birds are out. They're obviously slower to react to threats than the adults. One of our cats is a hunter and last year he caught at least a bird a day in the late spring/summer, sometimes two. I tried a collar with a bell, which he hated so much I took it off, and then a big multi-coloured ruffle collar, which didn't really work. In the end I had to stop feeding the birds.

TheSnowyOwl · 07/06/2023 13:02

If your cat is a hunter, then they will hunt regardless of where they live. You might have an abundance of birds that are visible but you’ll have rats elsewhere.

inappropriateraspberry · 07/06/2023 13:04

Both of my cats are hunters and are not interested in the birds at all! Mice and rabbits on the other hand...
We have bird feeders and they are well used. The birds and cats pay no attention to each other.
Did your cats catch birds before? If not, why would they start now?

Theunamedcat · 07/06/2023 13:08

Get a catio the birds will be safe

Original poster
userhank · 07/06/2023 13:24

inappropriateraspberry · 07/06/2023 13:04

Both of my cats are hunters and are not interested in the birds at all! Mice and rabbits on the other hand...
We have bird feeders and they are well used. The birds and cats pay no attention to each other.
Did your cats catch birds before? If not, why would they start now?

Yes he did catch the odd bird but it was mainly mice. I feel it will just be a mixture of everything when he comes here!

I'll be gutted to not have him with us, he's my baby. But equally, I'm at my mums most days for various things so I would still see him all the time.

I don't know, I think maybe leave him at my mums over the summer and then possibly think about moving him later in the year.

All I can hear now is what sounds like hundreds of birds singing outside!

OP posts:
Gardendad · 07/06/2023 13:28

Cats are absolutely awful for wildlife. Their impact is truly under estimated and the wholesale destruction of birdlife is accelerated by them. I have never had cats and my garden is heaving with birds. Every morning its full of birdsong, small birds learning to fly can hide in the long grass until they learn. Don't have a cat, it will destroy the existing birdlife. Cats should always be inside.

upanddownandupanddown · 07/06/2023 13:28

My cat likes to catch birds, but he only very rarely succeeds (like only about 4 times in the past three years that we know of) and most of the time they escape. Only
known him to kill two in the last three years we have had him. We used to have birds in our garden but we haven’t anymore; I suspect they all cleared off when the cat moved in! So I wouldn’t worry too much

stbrandonsboat · 07/06/2023 13:30

All my male cats have been hunters, but my females can't really be bothered and there's only one which has ever caught any mice. Never birds. I feed the birds in my garden and the cats just sit and watch them.

bibbityboppityboo · 07/06/2023 13:43

My cats bloody love a mouse but just like to watch / chirp at birds!

Our garden is like a bird haven, we get woodpeckers, all the tits, robins etc on the feeders.

The cats watch from inside or on the patio swishing tails and chatting to them - they've never caught one! The birds are far too quick for them and the feeder is in the middle of a large open section of grass so nowhere for the cats to hide.

I'm not sure about your reasonings but honesty I could never not have my cat back after them staying away!

daffodilandtulip · 07/06/2023 13:50

Do you like the birds though? I always had cats until a few years ago, and never heard or saw many birds at all. Now they are there all the time, I love listening to them, I love seeing them use the bird feeder. I love it and would never have a cat again.